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| Kristin
Bly-Rogers ::
Environmental Media ::
Parts and Labor (Repair Shop) . |
2002 |
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This performance / installation was realized during a solo exhibition at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio. At the onset of the installation, the gallery space was transformed into a fully functional repair shop. The door into the gallery opened into a small vestibule that served as the entranceway to the shop. Inside, a mid-level wall/countertop specified the receiving area where service requests were placed. In the space surrounding the designated shop area, several pedestals were lit to display the repaired items (the designation of 'art' through assigned meaning – the assisted readymade). During the six week run of the exhibition, regular office hours were held where participants were invited to place requests for repairs, witness repairs being made, or see how the space evolved due to completed service requests. In order to have an item repaired, patrons were asked to complete a service request form. This had obvious practical applications for record keeping, but also served as a tool for viewer engagement. The participant was given space on the form to describe the nature of the repair either in words or with pictures. In this way, the forms themselves were inherently collaborative. Every repaired item that became part of the pedestal exhibition was accompanied with the form/drawing that initiated the process. Parts and Labor was publicized as an upstart business inside the gallery space. The show opened as a new business would, and gallery goers were encouraged in advance to bring items to be repaired. There was a significant response, and requested items ranged from typical household items to graduate school paintings that were "shitty and contrived." Some participants were seeking very practical repairs, while others were interested in creative interpretations on the theme. In one case, a participant requested the repair of the perspective to a drawing that was drafted directly on the service request form. All request were taken in earnest, and every attempt was made to fulfill the orders. In the end, not every repair met completion, but every aspect of the process contributed to the atmosphere of the overall installation.
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